Dave Leckrone
Senior Pastor
Pastor Dave Leckrone, grew up on a beef cattle farm in Perry County. He attended The Ohio State University, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1984. A highlight of his time at OSU was the four years he spent in the Ohio State marching band, which traveled to two Fiesta Bowls, one Liberty Bowl and one Holiday bowl.
Pastor Dave attended the United Theological Seminary in Dayton, graduating with a Master of Divinity degree in 1987. His first church assignment was Burlington UMC just across the river from Huntington, West Virginia. He served there from 1987 to 1991 as pastor. From there he moved to Portsmouth Wesley UMC in 1991 and remained until 1994. The next stop on his pastoral journey was Dresden UMC, Longaberger basket country from 1994 to 2000.
Dresden turned out to be a great assignment in many ways. While there he married Jill Bennett, who is a registered nurse, and the couple had two children - Ben and Kyra.
The next move was to Columbus to serve at Asbury South UMC which was a ten-year assignment from 2000 to 2010. Most recently Pastor Dave moved to Troy First UMC where he served until he became our pastor on June 30th 2019.
Jill works in the main recovery room at Ohio State University Hospital. Pastor Dave currently serves on the conference Board of Ministry. He enjoys traveling with the family, history, and being outdoors.
Pastor Dave attended the United Theological Seminary in Dayton, graduating with a Master of Divinity degree in 1987. His first church assignment was Burlington UMC just across the river from Huntington, West Virginia. He served there from 1987 to 1991 as pastor. From there he moved to Portsmouth Wesley UMC in 1991 and remained until 1994. The next stop on his pastoral journey was Dresden UMC, Longaberger basket country from 1994 to 2000.
Dresden turned out to be a great assignment in many ways. While there he married Jill Bennett, who is a registered nurse, and the couple had two children - Ben and Kyra.
The next move was to Columbus to serve at Asbury South UMC which was a ten-year assignment from 2000 to 2010. Most recently Pastor Dave moved to Troy First UMC where he served until he became our pastor on June 30th 2019.
Jill works in the main recovery room at Ohio State University Hospital. Pastor Dave currently serves on the conference Board of Ministry. He enjoys traveling with the family, history, and being outdoors.
Office Phone: (380) 206-5856
Gail Baker
Executive Assistant
Gail was born in Cincinnati and was baptized and confirmed at Wilke Memorial Methodist Church. That is also where she married Randy Baker in 1970 – the final wedding performed by the pastor in the old chapel.
Gail and Randy relocated to Misawa Air Base in northern Japan where they lived for 5 years and where their son, Christopher, was born. Randy was active duty Air Force, and Gail worked first in Special Services, then as military club manager.
Upon their return from Japan in 1976, Randy was stationed at Rickenbacker AFB, and Gail was employed first as office manager then as manager of the Consolidated Open Mess (NCO and Officer’s clubs combined). They resided on the base until April 1,1978, when they moved to London.
In 1982 Gail accepted a position as Food & Beverage Manager at Fawcett Center at OSU. In 1984, she accepted a position as Director of Sales/Event Planner at Villa Milano where she was elected first to the Board of Trustees and then as president of the Central Ohio Restaurant Association.
In 1996 Gail became the Executive Director of the Central Ohio Restaurant Association, and in 2002 after attending for several years, she and Randy became members of our church.
Her beloved Randy died from a brain tumor caused by melanoma – Gail is quick to ask family and friends to pay attention to their skin by having regular skin checks and by avoiding sunburns.
Gail always felt she would end up in service to the church in some capacity. For years she and Randy thought that would mean missions. In October, 2012, SPRC offered Gail the position of Executive Assistant at our church, which she gladly accepted.
Gail and Randy relocated to Misawa Air Base in northern Japan where they lived for 5 years and where their son, Christopher, was born. Randy was active duty Air Force, and Gail worked first in Special Services, then as military club manager.
Upon their return from Japan in 1976, Randy was stationed at Rickenbacker AFB, and Gail was employed first as office manager then as manager of the Consolidated Open Mess (NCO and Officer’s clubs combined). They resided on the base until April 1,1978, when they moved to London.
In 1982 Gail accepted a position as Food & Beverage Manager at Fawcett Center at OSU. In 1984, she accepted a position as Director of Sales/Event Planner at Villa Milano where she was elected first to the Board of Trustees and then as president of the Central Ohio Restaurant Association.
In 1996 Gail became the Executive Director of the Central Ohio Restaurant Association, and in 2002 after attending for several years, she and Randy became members of our church.
Her beloved Randy died from a brain tumor caused by melanoma – Gail is quick to ask family and friends to pay attention to their skin by having regular skin checks and by avoiding sunburns.
Gail always felt she would end up in service to the church in some capacity. For years she and Randy thought that would mean missions. In October, 2012, SPRC offered Gail the position of Executive Assistant at our church, which she gladly accepted.
Office Phone: (380) 206-5857
Katelyn Hanna
Director of youth ministries
Katelyn grew up on a farm in Wood County and participated in 4-H. She loved showing goats at the local fair. She attended Bowling Green State University where she met her husband, Nathan. Graduating with her Bachelor of Biological Science in 2019, she pursued her master’s degree at Winebrenner Theological Seminary. Katelyn graduated in 2022 with her Master of Divinity. She enjoys hiking, sewing, cooking, and being outside in nature.
Jefferson McConnaughey
Director of Music
Jefferson McConnaughey, a native of Virginia, has been playing the organ in churches for the past 54 years. He began study in high school with Dr. Paul Hesselink at Longwood College in Farmville, Virginia. He was graduated cum laude from Mars Hill College, Mars Hill, North Carolina in 1974 with a Bachelor of Music in Performance degree, majoring in organ. While at Mars Hill, Mr. McConnaughey studied organ with Donna N. Robertson and Dr. Marilyn Keiser. He also studied harpsichord with Eve Lynne Joan Reeve, founder of the annual Music in the Mountains chamber music festival centered in Burnsville, North Carolina. After graduation, McConnaughey continued organ study privately with the late Dr. Arthur Poister during Poister’s last years in Raleigh, North Carolina. McConnaughey served as an Assistant Organist and Choirmaster for Evensong at All Saints Episcopal Church in Atlanta, Georgia for 15 years and was organist for Northside Drive Baptist Church retiring and moving to Columbus, Ohio with his wife Kathryn, to be near their daughter and son-in-law. McConnaughey is also a graduate of the University of North Carolina’s School of Law and is licensed in Georgia and North Carolina, having been admitted to the bar in 1978. He practiced law until his retirement in 2018.
Tara Shoemaker
Financial Secretary
A life long resident of London, Ohio surrounded by family and friends. She is currently employed by Kuhn Accounting of Galloway and the First United Methodist Church of London.